Sweet As Mustard
by AnimeTales600
Summary: NOT a lemon, for a change. I thought it might be weird to make these particular characters do something like that. There's some cute jealousy so of course it's available for anyone who wants to read a cute fanficition about Robin and Starfire.


The titans were out to Tokyo, Japan for a much-needed break after another battle with Slade. It was the middle of winter, but that didn't stop the residents of the area. The streets were busy and bustling with fuzzy earmuffs or coats. The trees had lost their leaves but in their place laid a thick layer of snow on each branch. The grass was also covered with snow, which crunched under the titans' feet.  
"It is so beautiful here," Starfire commented to Robin as they walked down a street filled with busy shops and pretty lights. "Tokyo is so busy, even in the winter stage..."  
Beast Boy piped up from the back. "Starfire, it's called a season! Not whatever you said."  
Starfire's face glowed a bright red in the cold air. "O-oh, is that right? I am sorry, I meant to say...season." Her embarrassment was adorable to Robin, who was walking by her side.  
Cyborg turned from the front and said to the crew, "Why don't we split up now? Just because we're a team doesn't mean we have to do everything together." He lowered his head as his eyes gleamed. "Plus there's a really good-looking sushi place over there..."  
"I saw an antique shop a while back," Raven mentioned nonchalantly. "Unless you guys are into that kind of stuff, we should all do our own thing."  
Robin started to protest, but Beast Boy interrupted. "Yeah, and we can leave the_ lovebirds_ to themselves," he teased. The rest of the crew laughed at Robin's blushing face and Starfire's confused one.  
"Robin, what is a...lovebird? A type of fowl? All I see are crows, where is it?" Starfire questioned as the crew broke up. Robin tried to call to them but they were out of earshot. Sighing, he turned to Starfire.  
"It's slang, Starfire." Starfire still looked clueless. They began walking as Robin tried again. "Slang means it doesn't mean what it really means, Star. Like...'apple of my eye', or 'in a pickle'."  
Starfire considered. "Is it physically possible to insert an apple inside one's eye?" She started to wonder out loud. "I suppose if the apple were small enough...but why would one want to be inside a pickle, of all things...?"  
While she was distracted, Robin took the time to look at what she was wearing. For an alien, Starfire had extremely good taste. Her chest pushed at the thick fabric of the coat, which stopped just below the thigh. The leggings she wore, Robin noted, hugged her skin in all the right places, and he noticed he was blushing. He averted his gaze as she looked excitedly up at him. "Am I correct?" She finished, and he realized he had missed the conversation.  
Robin coughed. "S-sure, right." He willed his blush to fade as she silently congratulated herself. They continued to walk for some while before Starfire noticed a spice shop on the corner. "Oh, Robin, look!" She pointed excitedly, like a child. "Can we, please?" Her breath was visible in the air, puffing little clouds in Robin's face. It smelled of strawberry gum.  
Robin nodded, happy to please her, and he let her drag him into the tiny shop. When they opened the door, he was hit with many smells at once, many of which reminded him of Starfire's Tamaran cooking. He watched almost wistfully as Starfire bobbed around the shop energetically, looking at every bottle. Suddenly she let out a little squeal. Robin, thinking she had tripped, immediately rushed to her side to see what was the matter. Starfire was holding some yellow bottle with Japanese writing on it. "Robin," she explained with glee, "It is the mustard! Japanese mustard! Oh, joy!"  
Robin chuckled slightly as he remembered her obsession with drinking mustard. "Want me to buy it for you?" He offered, completely alright with buying her anything she wanted. Her face brightened and she nodded. Robin signaled for her to follow as he walked to the register.  
The cashier was a teenage Japanese boy, with longish dark hair. He asked them something in Japanese. Starfire gave a little "oh" and giggled. Robin watched, to his horror, as she reached up and pulled the boy by his tie over the counter, and she proceeded to kiss him. Jealousy overcame his very being, and he was scared of crushing the bottle in his hand. He slammed the bottle down (he was surprised it didn't break), and his face turned red.  
"Starfire," he started through gritted teeth. "_What_...are you doing." She separated from the obviously confused Japanese boy and giggled. "Robin, silly, did not you know? I obtain-"  
"I don't care what you 'obtain', what were your lips doing on that guy's face?" He demanded in a jealous rage.  
Starfire sank a little. "W-why are you yelling?" Tears sprang to her eyes, melting Robin's rage away instantly, leaving him feeling guilty.  
"No, Star, I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." he stuttered for an answer as she burst into tears and ran from the store. "Don't cry! I'm sorry!" He was about to run after her when he remembered the bottle. He dashed back and put the yen on the counter, grabbed the bottle and left in a hurry.  
The cashier gazed after them in a daze.  
"Star!" He yelled at her, but she was very fast. "Starfire! Wait, I'm sorry!" She slowed to a jog and finally she stopped on the edge of the street where their hotel was, waiting for him to catch up. "Star," he panted, hands on his knees.  
Starfire sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I am sorry to upset you, Robin."  
Robin looked up at her and sighed. He straightened and dug the bottle out of his coat pocket and handed it to her. "Don't cry, alright? Just tell me what it was about."  
Her eyes brightened as she took the bottle and looked up at him. "I...learn a native's language by lip contact. Does that make you angry, Robin?"  
Robin mentally kicked himself. Of course. She would never do it otherwise. "Well, that's a yes and a no, Star..." Starfire blinked.  
Robin's hand found the back of his head and he scratched nervously. "It's just...lip contact is a big deal here on Earth..." Starfire tilted her head.  
"How?"  
Robin blushed and coughed. "I-it usually means...that you like that person..."  
Something in her brain clicked. "Oh, Robin, that was just...I did not mean to..."  
Robin shook his head. "It's fine, Star." He smiled at her. "Are you tired? It's getting late, we should probably get back to the hotel."  
Starfire nodded and smiled back at him. "Alright, let us go, Robin."  
They started walking and Starfire tentatively took his arm in hers. He blushed but decided not to say anything about it.


End file.
